Electromagnetic carrier system for heavy plates



Sept. 25, 1928. 1,685,539

A. GOODFE LLOW ELECTROMAGNETIC CARRIER SYSTEM FOR HEAVY PLATES Filed M rch 19, 1925 '7 SheetsSheet 1 Sept. 25, 1928.

A. GOODFELLOW ELECTROMAGNETIC CARRIER SYSTEM FOR HEAVY PLATES Filed March 19, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 25, 1928.

. A. GOODFELLOW ELECTROMAGNETIC CARRIER SYSTEM FOR HEAVY PLATES '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 19, 1925 Sept. 25, 1928. 1,685,539

A. 'GOODFELLOW ELECTROMAGNETIC CARRIER SYSTEM FOR HEAVY PLATES Filed March 19, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 j jy z.

'7 Sheets-Sheet 5 A. GOODFELLOW Filed March 19, 1925 ELECTROMAGNETIC CARRIER SYSTEM FOR HEAVY PLATES a Q 2. 1...-1 nfi {1-1.5} UHHHHHHHHHW. ||||||||a I m\ M w m I U ll l l l l l I l It. l l l l o'fl HHI I IHHI I IHI I I LI M f--. V T N HHHMPHHU 1 v V %k a a Sept. 25, 1928.

Sept. 25, 1928.

A. GOODFELLOW ELECTROMAGNETIC CARRIER SYSTEM FOR HEAVY PLATES Filed March 19, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Sept. 25', 1928.

A. GOODFELLOW ELECTROMAGNETIC CARRIER SYSTEM FOR HEAVY PLATES Filed March 19, 1925" '7 sheets=sneet 7 Patented Sept. 25, 1928.

g UNITED STATES 1,685,539 PATENT orrlcs.

ALFRED eoonrsuow. or counsvmau rENNsYLvANIA, mmn r wins it nvsrom. or QOATESVILLE. PENN8XLY4NLL- v Application mansion 19, m5. sem I0. 1831 My invention relates to reciprocating tools, usually 7 shears for operating upon heavy sheet metal and to means for feeding the heavy, sheet metal .to the tools.

My mainIpurpose is to provide a feeding device for heavy metal plates embodying grips normally electromagnetic and a conveyor toconvey the plates to position for operation upon them by shears; 1

A further purpose is to provide for vertical movement of the grips so that they will follow the vertical movements of the plates and conform to the surfaces of the plates even when these surfaces are not truly plane. The grips thus retain their holds to ensure alignment for a succeeding operation or for successive advances of the plate; thereby maintaining an initial setting as long as needed, even-throughout a seriesof operations'upon the'plate. I also avoid the loss of time and danger from faulty alignment incident to successive placings and clamp UNIS. I I

A further purpose is to provide an electro-magnetic clutchor grip for a plate conveyor system in which the electro-magnets are movable to engage the plate fully and with maximum vetiicien'cy and to follow any slight mach movements of the plate without losing their close engagements with it, falling away from the plate when de-energizedso as to'permit free movement of the deenorgizcd grip or of the plate without interference of either with the movement of the other V A further purpose is to provide independe'ntly movable drag carriers having elect-romagnetic grips, gripping the same plate at selected points and maintaining the alignment of the plate While it is being fed through successive plunger tool operations while'permitting independent use of the carriers to handle the plates preliminary to and subsequent to the tool operations upon them, securing adaptability in handling and con tinuous position control prior to, during,- and 5"ilii- -'U 11t to the operations upon the plates. i so to allow a carrier system for heavy plate to follow a plate in upward movement between shearing operations where the late is lifted free from the shear knives or a succeeding movement, without'loosing the magnetic grip on the plate nor the control of the alignment of the plate by the carrier, so that an initial settin will be maintained throughout the rangeqoftmovement of the plateundisturhed'bgy slight variation in the vertical position of the plate.- 7

- :Aiso touse thejeeding' mechanism to hold the plate during the operation.

By the structures and devices shown, I prevent the plate from shifting or creeping and keep constant control over the position of the plate, holding it securely when desiredv and transferring it without change in alignment: between operations.

Ihave preferred to illustratemy invention by one general typeonly though with several different applications. selecting a type whioh is practical, efiicient and thoroughly reliable and. which at the same time well illustrates the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 1s a top plan view,*generally diagranlmatic, showing myconveyor in .con-

junction with transverse feeding tables.

F1gure9 1s a fragmentary enlarged plan YlBW, showing in greater detail parts seen in -Figure 1. s

Figure 3 is a perspective view omitting the conveyor but showing'tools of a type which may be served it. Figure 4'is a. fagmentary section" of Figure taken upon line 4+4 thereof.

Figures 4, 4" and 4 are sect-ions corresponding .to Figure 4, but showing diflerent positions of-the'part-s.

Figure 5 is a section of Figure 1 taken upon line 5-5.

Figure 6 is a' vertical longitudinal section of lateral feeding adjustments such as are shown in Figure V V Figure '7 is a top plan view of, a second form of gripping devices whichmay be used.

j Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevation partly in longitudinalsecticn of the structure seen in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is affragmentary end elevation of the-structure seqi in Figure 7.

'Figures 10, 11, 12' and '13 are top plan Lil other operations and may be operated by any other power means. The tools shown are opposite counterparts in all particulars except that their knives begin to out at the corresponding end. f

In the, delivery of heavy metal plate to cutting tools and particularly to tools-cutting concurrently on opposite sides in successiveoperations along the opposite edges of the plate, initial accurate alignmentand maintenanceof the alignment of the plate for each step in, the operation or for each operation are quite desirable and I have in- ;Ivented mechanism whereby the hold of the grips upon the plate canbe'contin uously maintained duringthe successive operations" though the feeding beiiot continuous. At

thefsame time discontinued hold reduces along the frame with a minimum of fric tion. For this reason the frames carry rollers 22 mounted in the frames upon'axes transverse to the'length of the conveyor.

The conveyor mechanism comprises a central Ll-shaped frame 23 having oppositely pla ed side supporting members 24 within which arevlock guides 25 for magnetic grips 26 which are moved within the guides longitudinally of the framesby means of cables passing about poweroperated drums 27, 28, 29 pairs of idlers 30, 31-, 32, 33, 34 and 35, idlers'36 and 37and take-up shives 38. V

For convenience in reference the cables passing about these-drums, idlers and take.- up' shives may be divided into stretches 39, 40,,4-1ami 42 of which stretches 39v and 42 are secured to opposite ends of appropriate magnetic grips operated by the corresponding cables using a separate cable drum, takeup shive and set of idlers for each grip.-

In Figure 4, 4 and 4 the middle cable ofthc three is the one attached and the point of attachment is shown at 43, the other stretch to one of the idlers 31,33 or 35, to

and about corresponding operating drum 27 ual gripping 28 or 29, thence about one of the idlers 30,

3201 34, to and about one of the idlers 36 and back to the magnetic grip or clutch.

In the form shownin Figures 1, 2,, 4, 5

r and 6, the magnetic clutch mechanism comprises a movable boxlike holder 45 containing a plurality of inagnetw ndmgs '46 and magnetic solcnoidal gripping cores 47, which "pass-through and are guided and supported within a top plate 48. i The windings may be in series or multiple and'the windings for each gripping mechanism receivetheir current through pairs of trolley arms 49 from ineans not shown;

'SlIiCG the cores 47 are vertically movable,.

energization of the electromagnet cores (with or 'without lifting of the windings) while a plate is located above them-will result in the'lifting of the magnet cores into engagement with the plate and the COIBS'Wlll follow the vertical movements of the late within the range of movement provided,

maintaining contact notwithstanding variations in the height of the plate above the grippingdevi'ces. It is much the best con: struction, mechanically and electrically to have the windings move with the cores, and the b0 and cover should be of non-magnetic material. Any suitable additional guides may be provided' The cores are flanged at 51 and the flanges cooperate with the walls of the box to perform guiding functions and to maintain vertical position of the individ members maintain'contact with" the surface of the plate during movement of the plate even while the plate is also lifting and lowering within reasonable limits; I In Figures 1 and 2,-the plate 52 is delivered to the drag conveyor by a laterally disposed roller table which terminates at the end adjacent the drag conveyor in tiltable roller table arms 53, provided with rollers 54' and rocked vertically abouta center at the right in all figures but not shown, by means of a thrust arm 55 and mechanism not shown. The same mechanism operates thrust arms 56'hy which a plurality of plungers 57 move within guides 58 so as to lift and lower rollers 59. I

The rollers 59 are mounted upon axes parallel to the length of the drag conveyor and, therefore, at right angles to the axes of rollers 22 and are lifted and lowered through openings 60 in the surface of frame 19. By this means a plate carried by the tiltable roller tables 53 may be carried by theinto' a pOsi ion abovethe drag conveyor 18 and can notwithstanding strain upon them, so that these members will vii "have been :secured. roller table 53 and the rollers 59 are =then :belzitera'lly adjusted upon rollers 54 until?!) with ease, until the desired lateral position and-alignment (as hereinafter indicated) The outer end of the lowered to rest "the plate upon :the drag conveyor. I

Between the laterally extending roller table arms 53, and inposition to engage the plate carried by these arms, I locate an aligning and-adjusting mechanism 61 having magnetic gripping devices'of the same general character asthose-seenin Figures 4, 4, 4, 4 and 5, with the exceptions-that they-are preferably-carricd bye-movable frame 62 instead of being themselves movable in guides and that they do not need to receive their current from trolley or other similar engagement but may be connected up with any source of elec- V 'trical energy, not shown. For the same reasons that the drags may he greatly varied in type, shape'and style, the dragelements 'tablqito align orgive fine lateral adjustment to the plate while it is supported upon these tables or upon these tables and rollers 39.

By selecting appropriate ones of these aligning and fine adjustment devices, the plate can be shifted or turned in either direction on by a single device or by a plurality o't devices operating .in the same or opposite directions. One device may beheld stationary and mav be used as an anchor for plates about which anchor the plates may be swung by one of the other-devices. An entire construction by'which lateral delivery of the plate to the drag conveyor maybe securcd, described and illustrated with -a good deal moreparticularity in my application for finead-justment and alignment for approach tables. Serial No. 614.149, fined January 22, 1923, as well as'various other devices for feeding plates to such a drag con vnyor laterally or in line with the conveyor by the use of other mechanisms.

l'have not deemedit necessary toinclude more elaborate descriptions and illustrations 7 of the other devices shown in the illustras tion of this application. as I believe it to be unnecessary to the claims made herein. but I make reference to this other application in order to lay foundation for illustration and description of any of this other structure illustrated or described, which may at any time prove to be necessary to the claims in are apertured at "86 to the cores 82 through the-recess.

this application. Thi poliey has been antatedby the to shorten'thiscase per se and I to avoid the necessity for what would seemnowibe needless eIraminat-ionhere of the same sub ect imatter'as shown in said --pcndmg application.

.In Figures 7, 8 and 9 another form of electromagnetic gripping device'is shovm capable of use in connection with the drag conveyor as illustrated or for the aligning and adjusting uses or both." It comprises a frame-member '72slidable in' the guides :and oanryin'g vertically movable electromagnetic gripping elements or holds 73.

Contact is made with the electrical con 'ductors through trolley straps 49 and connection with the cable ends 74 is: made by looping them about pins 75.

The electro-magnet core 47' is energized "by a winding 46' to which current is conducted fromthe trolley straps by wires 76. Theelectro magnetic core is preferably not tinovable within its supporting holder and I prefer to providethe movement between the shell and the frame. The cor'e'is protected and retained by a cover .plate48'.

The ends 77' of the electro-ma net holders which are the vertically mov'ab elements are apertured at 78'to fit down over vertical guide members 79 which are preferably hollow to provide inner guiding surfaces 80 for rods 81, extending from solenoid cores 82. The solenoid windings 83 for the solenoid cores82 are placed within recesses 84 in 'the main casing or frame. These recesses are closed sufficiently to retain the winding by plates 85'which plates, for convenience, permit movement of The guide openings 80 are laterally extended to form openings 87 preferably in the form of slots, to provide for vertical movement of bars 88 liftedby the solenoids and dropping to place by gravity when the solenoid windings are not energized. Obviously the solenoid windings can be connected in the same or separate circuits from the energizing circuit and in my arrange-. ment they are shown as in multiple with the energizing circuit, so that when the electro-magnet is energized the solenoid windings will be energized and the bars 88 will be lifted lifting the entire electro-magnetic gripping devices into engagement with the work. These devices will drop when the current is cut ofi.

The operating cables are clamped to position by clamp plates 89. I

The surface of the electro-magnetic gripping devices is chamfered' to form guiding and protective side surfaces-90. I

The several ,forms of electro-magnetic T gri ping devices and the drags and aligning an ad ust1ng mechanisms shown form a continuation for certain purposes of my atine these rollers.

application for fine adjustment and align- 'ment for approach tables Serial No. 614,149,

filed January 22, 1928. r

'The shears are shown diagrammatically in Figure 1, as for the most part my invention is wholly independent of their character, However, in order that a more complete-mechanism for carrying out my invention may be disclosed, Iillustrate in Figure no 3 one form of shear contemplated by me,

which is illustrated and described-in more detail in application of Charles L. Huston for-facing shears for cutting heavy sheet metal, Serial'No. 576,998, filed July 24,1922

b'to which I would refer for any further in formation regarding the construction,- making this reference to avoid what seems to me likely to prove unnecessary description of the same in the presentapplication.

The shears are opposite counter-parts and are mounted upon parallel guides 91. They are drawntogether or separated uniformly by inter-geared adjusting screws 92.- The bases support frames 93 within which are bearings 94 for rock shafts '95 having rock arms 96 operated through links 97, by phingers 98 of hydraulic cylinders 99. 7 v

The hydraulic cylinders are fed through piping 100, hinged to adjust the le 'th be- 3 tween the inlet and outlet ends, receiving water from opposite pairs 102, 102 of high pressure intensifier cylinders so that the two shears are operated synchronously.

Rocker shafts 95 operatethrough links 103 -.-;3 to lift. and permit lowering of movable beams 1 carrying movable shear knives 105 .cooperatmg with fixed shear knives 106 in beams 107. Thepull-back cylinders 108,

plungers 109, beam 110 and rods 111 pro- 40 vide for return movement of the movable beams. v r 1 Within or'in close conjunction to the fixed beams 19?, supporting idlers 112 are lifted to support'the ,work free from the'fixed shear knives when the work is to be moved and are lowered-to lower the work upon these knives when shearing-vieintended to take place. This is provided by shafts 113 suitably driven, as seen in the Huston application, connecting 'by arms 114, l111l S 115, bell cranks'116 and links 117 with a series of bell cranks uponwhieh the rollers 112 are supported. V 1 v But one shaft 113 need be used for oper- 7 Both shafts 113 are preferably used for another purpose, namely through levers 118, rods 119 and levers 120 pivoted at 121, to lift links 122 and wedges 123. ,The lifting of these wedges releases the movable beams so that the cuttingknives mayfall away from the work and may be lifted free from and w1thout disturbance to the work; IVhen the wedges are lowered they hold the knives to their position of duty for cutting-purposes The movablebeams do not hang down directly from the supports for the links but lie forward sufficiently so thatby gravity they are held back firmly against their guides. The

front faces ofthe wedges'128 act as guides holding the knife beams and knives toduty or releasing according to the position of the guides verticaliy with respect to the sloping frame surfaces against which the wedges operate. 7 l

The conveyor of the conveying and holding functions or for allof them, either maintaining its hold continuously throughout the successive feeding and cutting [operations orfsuecessively gripping to perform or assist inone or more operations and releasing to grip again. In the initial setting it may be used for rough positioning alone or, preferably, forexact placing, according to the accuracy of the initial placing and the perfection of alignment of the feed. It may continue to hold the plates or to assist in holding them in alignment during all or any of the cuttingoperations and release of the plate by lateral movement of the knivespreparatory to the liftof the knives for another cutting operation, also during the lifting ofthe plates and their transfer to the next position and during the lowering of the plates for the succes sive and progressive cutting operations. The conveyors would'operate to transfer the plates and to hold them during cutting even if the rollers 112 were not-liftedto relieve the friction of transfer and if there were no means of relieving friction in. their own.

constructiona'but the operation is facilitated by the lifting of the rollers 112 and, where the rollers 22 are lifted, by their upward movement, proper gripping oftheplates and the retention of holds upon the plates when and ingtables to the shears.

In Figures-1O andll, along with cooperating transfer tables 53 shown broadly and corresponding in generalfunction with those shown in Figures 1 and-2, I have shown con: struction intended to be used in some one of its various forms in Figures 1 and 2 but not there illustrated, by which the plates 52 are received from the rolls, are transported from the rolls through the end shears and are roughly aligned for transfer. i

In Figure 10 a plate is seen upon manipsystem may be used for any.

At the same .time the ulatin'g rollers124 of which alternate rollers may be rotated atdiflerent speeds or in different directions sothat-the plate can. be roughly aligned for shearing by'oppositely facing end-cutting shears 125 and 126. The plate is handledbetwcenthe shears by roller table 127 and isfdelivered from its rollers to manipulate rollers 12601 the general charactor and capable of the movements of rollers 124, where further-rough adjustmentof the plate can takeplace'before it isdelivered to the'transfer table 53 for delivery to the drag conveyor 21. In this view adjust i ng and aligning devices 61,-capableof' the movements of devices 61 in the other views, are placed on both sides ofthe drag conveyor 21 and electro-magnetic cable'- drawn drags or grips 26 carry the plate to the shears and 16 and beyond the shears the plate is handled by any suitable roller table 128 fondelivery of the plate" to the point Where it is toweighed or loaded or to other point of discharge; The conveyor and shears shown are intended to be generic and,so fa-r as desired', to have all the capabilities" and to perform all the functions of those shown in the'earlier figures. I

In Figure 11 the construction shown corresponds generally to that shown in 'Figure 10, except thatythe shears 125, 126 face each other instead of being placed back to back;

But'one table of'manipulati-ng rollers 124 is shown, located between" the shears and plain roller tables 127' and 127 are placed outside the shears. Casters 129 are used to assistin handling the pistes.

In the form shown in Figures 12 and 13 the plate goes directly from the mill through the shears to the drag conveyor without need of lateral transfer. r V

In Figure 1.2 the plate 52 passes from the rolls to roller table 127 and through endcutting shear-126 to manipulating rollers 124' which deliver it directly to the drag conveyor, whose drags conveniently assist. The plate may be roughly aligned by the manipulating table and may be further centered and aligned by the adjusting and aligning devices 61 placed upon opposite sides of the manipulating rollers and upon opposite sides of the drag conveyor so that the plate may be fully aligned before coming to the shears 15 and 16 and. ultimately to the roller table 128 for such distribution of the plate as is desired.

In Figure 13 on the other hand the initial arrangement is comparable more nearly with that shown in Figure 10 in that the plate is handled first by manipulating rollers 124, thence passes through oppositely facing shears 125, 126, back to back, travelling between them upon a roller table, and is then delivered to other manipulating rollers 124' from which it is passed directly to the drag conveyor. In this case also there are ad usting and aligning devices such as 61 on opposite sides of the manipulating rollers and/or on opposite sides of the drag. conve orto give I full opportunity for proper hand ing of the plate to align it and plaee'it'properly upon the drag conveyor. Obviously, if the rough adjustments secured by the manipulating rollers near the conveyor be not needed: they can be substituted by any other transfer mechanism of which a plain roller table is an example. p I Inthisapplication, as in m'y'previousapphcation for fine adjustment and alignment for approach tables, Serial No. 614,149, filed January 22, 1928, herein. above referred to,

I wish to distinguish from the broad inventions embodying a conveyor and oppositely facing guillotine shears served thereby claimed in a copending application of Charles L. Huston, for transfer system for heavy metal plates, Serial No; 616,563, filed February 2,1923, i I I My disclosure herein will suggest toothers 1 skilled in the art various ways in which my structure may be modified-to obtain the advantageof all or a part-of my invention without using the-same mechanical means. It is my purposetherefore to include herein all such modifications and changes as come within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention. 7

- Having thus describedmy invention,w'lmt I ctaim asnew and desire tosecure by L k ters Patent is i 1. The process of transferring heavy metal" di ate and cutting-"it inns'tep'by 'step opera. tion, which consists in gripping the plate electromagnetically from below, in progressing the plate to an initial setting above the shearing position by movement of the electro-magnet while mai.ntainingtlie grip, lowering the plate, operating upon the plate concurrently upon opposite sides, raising it and shifting the plate: whilemaintaining alignment by the shifting means to a setting for repetition of the operation.

2. The process of transferring heavy metal plate and shearing it in step by step ma T operation. which consists in gripping the plate electromagnetically against one of its pl at e alignment by mechanically'moving the gripping means into position for shearing'along its sides, shearingthe'plate concurrently on opposite sides, utilizing the pressures on opposite sides tobalance each other and protect. from vafriation'in position of the plate, and transferring the plate longitudinally by the same gripping means while maintaining its alignment intoa new shearing position and repeating the operation.

4. The process of transferring and shearing heavy metal plate which consists in aligning the plate, resiliently gripping the longitudinally electromagnetically, transferring ,the plate and maintaining alignment by mechanically moving the grip electromagnetic gripping means and Withthem the plate to position the plateover opposite lower shear knives while permitting and meanstofollow variations in height of the plate by Variation in the height of the electro magnetic means and shearing the plate at opposite sides while maintaining the hold of thedrag upon the gripping means to hold the plate during the shearing, utilizing the shearing pressures-on opposite sides of theplate to balanceeach-other and protect against displacement of the plate.

6. .The process of transferring and. concurrently shearing heavy metal plate which consists in electromagnetically gripping the,

plate against one of its sides, dragging the electro-i'nagnetio gripping means and with them the plate to position-the plate over opposite lower shear knives while following variations in height of the plate by 'bodilyv movement up or down of the electro-magnets',maintaining the hold of -the drag upon them and lowering theplate to positionnpon the shears at thev same time lowering the,

electro-magnets and maintaining the hold of the drag; thereon and shearing the plate.

1 7. In conveying and aligning mechanism, a pair of oppositely facingguillotine shears, means for lifting and lowering" a plate extending across from shear to shear, a conveyor between the. shears adapted to deliver plates to them,to advance the plates between strokes of the shears, and t0,convey them away from the shears to other handling mechanism, electro-magnetic grips carried by the conveyor adapted when energized t0 shiftivertically into. engagement with the plate and maintain operative connection with-the conveyor while the'plate is lower-.

ed, sheared and subsequently lifted, and electric current supply for the grips.

' I ALFRED eooDF L ow. 

